Comment this dicussion in few word. Discussion : What ethical, social, and polit
ID: 418508 • Letter: C
Question
Comment this dicussion in few word.
Discussion :
What ethical, social, and political issues arise with the use of information systems?
Ethical - A manager needs to make decisions on a consistent basis and because managers are human, they make mistakes or discover mistakes which were made that may cost him/her their job. The mistake is not the issue, it is how the individual decides to address these mistakes. Some managers will take the consequences, and others may make the decision to cover up the problem. Information systems unfortunately can be used in a way which creates unethical results. Managers have used “financial reporting information systems to bury their decisions from public scrutiny in the vain hope that they would never be caught.” (Laudon, 125) Some of these cover ups can cause very serious problems such as financial gain/hardships, injury and even death.
Social & Political – Social and political issues are created from the ethical lines which have been crossed. Often social arrangements are changed because of the ethical issues which have come up. People recognized that socially something was not ethical, which then is pushed politically for a change, which comes in the form of laws. With the introduction of the internet, and information systems, new ethical issues were created which then needed to be addressed both socially and politically. (Laudon) An example of this could be in how the government uses technological information in order to try and catch people who might have the intent to cause harm to others. How far is too far and what is the balance when it comes to security and a person’s liberty within the United States? Once someone is recognized to have been under suspicion or is associated with criminal intent, the government then if proven can legally tap into the lives and personal data of these individuals using technology drawn or court ordered from both public and private organizations to get this information. This is an interesting thing to think about because, though you want people who have malicious intent to be caught, you also don’t want a government to have the right to easily delve into the lives of its citizens. This kind of surveillance came about, from a social and political push after attacks were made upon innocent citizens. Laws were created to make it possible for these kinds of actions to be made by the government with the intent to stop individuals or groups from causing harm to others but it also raises serious concerns that this system could be used in ways for which they are not intended to be used and could impede upon citizens’ rights to have liberty within the United States. (Laudon, 132)
Which of these identified issues can have the most adverse effect on an organization if not managed properly?
Ethical issues have the most adverse effect on an organization, because the ethical issues are at the core of creating the problems both socially and politically. Social and political issues would not be a problem if there were not ethical issues. Companies need to have clear and defined ethical expectations which should be made known to employees on a consistent basis.
Reference
Laudon, K. C. (2016). Management Information Systems: Managing the Digital Firm, 14th Edition. [Argosy University]. Retrieved from https://digitalbookshelf.argosy.edu/#/books/9781323328965/
Explanation / Answer
Answer: (1) Information systems are the data bases which contain sensitive and personal information related with people and organization. Access and use of this information is therefore a sensitive issue. The ethical, social and political issues related with the use of the information system are interrelated. The ethical issues related to the rights of use and obligations related with the use of the information system. It is important that the people who have an access to the information systems do not use them for wrong purposes like misrepresentation of information. It is also important that there is no unauthorised access to such information system so that sensitive information like the trade secrets is not leaked. The social issues which arise are like cyber crimes, loss of jobs due to computerization and health risks arising out of the excessive use of the information system based apps. Similarly there are political risks like information theft from the government records and their improper use for political purposes which are arising because of the use of the information systems. Thus there are ethical, social and political risks which are associated with the use of the information systems.
(2) Out of these issues the ethical issues impact the organizations in a more adverse way. If the information systems of the company are misused for frauds then all the stakeholders like the employees, shareholders and so on can suffer. The unethical use of the information like the leaking of the trade secrets can result in a direct harm to the company. The social and political issues impact the organizations indirectly.